i think ms might, many people got burned by the rrod, they persisted with the 360 because of the time and money they'd already invested, but how many of those will be reluctant to buy the next ms console?

It's not the "online community" that matters. It's the community, simple. It's a matter of consumer loyalty, and no shit it's the "key to success" for the next console generation. It's the goddamned key to success for nearly every single product ever made.

I mean, hell, just look at how many people abandoned Sony at the start of this generation to go with a 360, or each new generation of Nintendo products has alienated more and more "core" gamers to the point where their products are now marketed almost entirely to the casual demographic.

This shit matters. It always has, it always will, and writing about this is unnecessary because its obvious to everyone here. Even blind, dumb and deaf baboons know as much.